Allegro's New Ride

I was at Whole Foods the other day, and I happened to catch Allegro's new ride.    Check it out.

Now, I don't know much about Allegro Coffee, except that they're local and they make pretty damn good coffee.    Now that I've seen their new wheels, I like 'em even more.    Well done.

VW Westfalia Love

Meet Vincent.

Vincent is an early 80's Westfalia brought over from Germany.    He now sports a Subaru conversion, among a few other tricks.

He was dirty so I gave him a bath.

Note the concentration.  

Vincent was converted by a shop in Boulder called Wild Westy.   It's run by a guy named Lucas Hofgard.

This is what the shop looked like if you happen to randomly swing by in mid-January and start taking photos.   It's very cozy.     I wouldn't even call it a garage, it's a workshop and Lucas is a craftsman.  Yes,  I have a serious case of garage envy.

The Syncro in the shop is undergoing a Subaru conversion.   Let's take a closer look.    

Here's the old engine coming out.   It's a little worn out and consumes oil, a lot of oil.     Like a quart every hundred miles or something outrageous.   I think Lucas said that once upon a time, this motor was modified by Go Westy in California.  

Out with the old, in with the new.    This particular van is heading back to California and that required some special considerations for the new motor to be smog compliant.   More on that later.

Here's the shiny new, modified Subaru engine ready to go in.  

Tell us about the engine, Lucas.



Fair disclosure:   I've driven quite a few buses but I haven't driven any that had the pickup that Vincent has.   The  Subaru conversion is lovely, really.    Sign me up.

I should also note that I have not had work done by Wild Westy (yet).  On my short, more or less unannounced visit, I spent a bit of time with Lucas. I was impressed by the depth of his knowledge.  He also clearly cares about his work.  He's a craftsman and building his rep one van at a time.  

When I'm ready Lucas,  you're doing my Westy conversion.

The Cutest VW Bus Ever

I've seen a lot of buses, but this one might qualify as the cutest one ever.

This little green guy was spotted in the McGuckin parking lot in Boulder, CO.    California tags.

2001 VW Camper [Vans]

We recently borrowed a 2001 Volkswagen Camper for a 3 day trip to RMNP.



The VR6 powered van provided plenty of getup and go, and I was surprised by how well it handled. Plus, who can argue with a vehicle that sleeps 4. Like most others in the late 90's and early 2000s, this one was a Winnie conversion with about 90,000 miles. Despite the age and mileage, most of its systems were fully functional. The tri-powered fridge was a notable exception.

We had a great time in the van. I found it a perfect way to camp out and haul around 4 people and their gear.

After the trip, I did a little checking on market prices for these vehicles. Most of the decent ones seem to be in the mid $20's. Some owners are asking over $30. That has to be one of the lowest depreciation rates ever. The camper vans have held their value exceptionally well.

Due diligence: A stack of maintenance receipts in the door pocket of our borrowed van pointed to expensive maintenance and repairs.

2009 Jetta TDI Sportswagen

Two words: I want.

Of course, I won't buy the first year of production. I'll also probably wait at least 3 years for the first wave of depreciation to pass. Guess I'll start shopping for one sometime around 2013.

Here's a first drive. And another and another and another